August 30, 2024 | Contract Negotiations, News, Top News
On August 23, Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) 251 issued its recommendations to President Biden to settle the contract dispute between BLET and New Jersey Transit. Under the Railway Labor Act, if there is no settlement between the parties based on a PEB’s...
August 30, 2024 | FRA, News, Positive Train Control, Top News
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) sided with the BLET on August 26 when it denied a joint waiver request by five railroads seeking to change operating rules in the event of unplanned Positive Train Control (PTC) outages. The BLET filed formal written comments...
August 29, 2024 | News, Top News
BLET State Legislative Board Chairmen are continuing to review candidates for public office who are worthy of our support in the upcoming national election on November 5. Their list of candidates for federal office will be published in an upcoming issue of the...
August 29, 2024 | News, Top News
Brother Kristian (Kris) Melone, a BNSF locomotive engineer and member of BLET Division 504 (Great Falls, Mont.), was elected to his first term as Chairman at the Montana State Legislative Board’s quadrennial meeting on August 14-15, 2024. He has served as the State...
August 27, 2024 | News, STB, Top News
Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Robert Primus has called a public hearing on September 16 and 17 to gather information about how the freight rail industry has grown and intends to grow in the future. STB is the federal agency charged with economic...
August 26, 2024 | News, Positive Train Control, Top News
The BLET has called out five railroads for a backdoor attempt to make changes to Positive Train Control operating rules without going through proper regulatory channels. Each railroad has in place FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plans (PTCSP), which dictate...
August 24, 2024 | Canada, CN, CPKC, News, Teamsters Canada, Top News
Sean O’Brien, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and François Laporte, President of Teamsters Canada, were on the picket line at CPKC’s headquarters in Calgary on August 23. ____________________ The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC)...
August 23, 2024 | CEO Pay, News, Top News
The AFL-CIO released its annual Executive Paywatch report which tracks how worker wages have fallen while CEO pay continues to soar. Here are some highlights from the railroad industry: CEO to worker pay ratios CSX — 116:1 (it previously was a 186:1 ratio) Union...
August 23, 2024 | News, Top News
From left: Rob Weimer, BNSF Galesburg Assistant Superintendent; Brandon Sauvageau BNSF LaCrosse Superintendent; Will Wayzny BNSF Superintendent Of Safety; Division 644 Locomotive Engineer James VonKannon; Division 644 Locomotive Engineer Troy Ericson; Division 644...
August 23, 2024 | GCA Elections, News, Top News, UP
Officers, members, and guests at the UP-Eastern District GCA’s quadrennial meeting in Omaha, Neb., on August 14, 2024. _____________________ Chad Lambert was reelected to his second term as General Chairman during the Union Pacific-Eastern District General...
